Travels in Italy--Taormina (Part 1 of 4)

The sojourn in Sicily continues. 

Along the eastern shore of Sicily is the hilltop town Taormina.  The town sits on a steep, high hill known in English as Mount Tauro.  The names Taormina and Mount Tauro derive from the ancient location name--the dwelling place of the bull. 

The road up to the town is winding and steep.  In fact, we had to switch from a bus to a small van for the last part of the trip.  The views from Taormina are amazing and the town itself is beautiful and charming.  It is a vacation destination for Italians and foreign visitors today and for the past 200 years (.  As you might recall, Taormina hosted the latest G7 meeting in mid-May.  The town was immaculate with clean streets, flowers everywhere and no graffiti.

Like many other towns in Sicily, Taormina is very old   It already existed when Greeks established the first Greek colony on Sicily in nearby Naxos in the 8th century B.C.  The town of Taormina was then inhabited by indigenous people of Sicily (the Siculi) until the Greeks moved in and expanded the town.  Some of its ancient buildings survive, including a Greek theater and a Roman theater.   

After our thrilling drive up to Taormina, we took a walking tour of the town.  

One of the two large squares in Taormina, the Piazza IX Aprile.  The square was named for the date April 9, 1860, when Garibaldi landed in Sicily as part of the campaign to unify Italy.  In fact, the news of the landing was a false rumor.  Garibaldi did not actually land until one month later on May 9.  (In the photo are the clock tower, the Torre dell'Orolorgiio, and the Church of St. Giuseppe.)

Another view of Piazza IX Aprile, with the bell tower of St. Giuseppe in the foreground and the hilltop church of the Madonna della Rocca in the background.

A quiet street in Taormina

One of the many stairs in hilly Taormina.  Walking around the town is a good workout. 

Taormina's main street, Corso Umberto, filled with tourists during early evening

From Taormina, a view of the hillside, the Ionian Sea below and Mount Etna in the distance

A view of the Ionian Sea from Taormina, with modern cruise ships in the bay and the ancient town of Naxos on the point. 

Isola Bella on the shore below Taormina.  The island today is a nature preserve closed to the public. 

Pop Quiz:  Scenes for what academy-award winning movies were filmed near Taormina?

Next Up:  The tour of Taormina continues.